FMD is dangerous to humans. FMD: course and symptoms of the disease. Foot and mouth disease in cattle. They eat pigs, sheep, goats, and deer. Diagnosis, treatment, control and prevention measures. Treatment of foot and mouth disease in animals

What is foot-and-mouth disease virus? How is the infection transmitted? What are the symptoms of the disease in animals and humans? What is foot-and-mouth disease? How is the disease treated? About all this will be discussed in our publication.

The causative agent of the disease

The causative agent of foot and mouth disease virus is a specific structure of ribonucleic acids, which belongs to the picornavirus family. The size of such infectious particles is about 30 nanometers. The microscopic structure consists of RNA surrounded by a protein coat. Once in the human or animal body, the virus infects the lymph. The development of infection occurs within 48 hours.

FMDV is resistant to heat and cold in vivo. However, it instantly dies when exposed to temperatures above +80 ° C. Being in the feces of an animal that ended up in environment, the causative agent of infection passes into an inactive phase, maintaining vital activity for more than 100 days. The foot-and-mouth disease virus loses its ability to reproduce under the influence of ultraviolet rays, as well as disinfectants.

Mechanism of infection development

Having entered the body, the viral pathogen concentrates on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and damaged areas of the skin. In places of penetration into the tissue, the infection accumulates in small vesicles. Here, an active infection is observed. Then the infection spreads through the bloodstream, attacking the tissues of organs and systems. Over time, intoxication of the body develops. Pathological ribonucleic structures settle in the epithelium of the oral cavity and nasopharynx, concentrate in the urethra.

At-risk groups

What categories of the population are in the group increased risk foot-and-mouth disease virus infection? Usually the development of the disease is observed among the personnel of livestock enterprises. As practice shows, most often a viral infection affects milkmaids, cattle drivers, people who work in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants. Sometimes, as a result of negligent attitude to work, the lizard virus in humans is observed among veterinarians and livestock specialists.

At the same time, not a single case of transmission of pathogens from one person to another has been recorded. This is due to the low susceptibility of a person to infection. Among other things, after recovery, people acquire short-term immunity, which lasts about a year.

Symptoms of foot and mouth disease in animals

Often, the infection affects the young of a large cattle. Immature animals do not have immunity against the virus and are more difficult to tolerate the disease. The development of the disease is characterized by the appearance of fever, which is accompanied by rashes on the limbs, mucous membranes of the mouth, tissues that are adjacent to the horns, and also on the skin of the udder.

FMD virus in animals attacks the body for 10-15 days. This is preceded by an incubation period that lasts 2-4 days. In most cases, livestock can be successfully cured. However, in severe cases of the disease, death occurs.

Symptoms in humans

What are the symptoms of FMDV in humans? Often already within incubation period, which lasts about a week, infected person the first characteristics diseases. These include:

• chills;
• headache attacks;
• general malaise;
• pain in the muscles;
• temperature rise to +38 ... +39 ° С.

Then the foot-and-mouth disease virus in humans begins to progress. A few days later, a burning sensation and dryness in the oral cavity are added to the above symptoms. Photophobia is manifested, there are pain during urination.

Concerning external signs foot-and-mouth disease virus, the appearance of small whitish bubbles on the palate, lips, inner surface cheeks After about a day, such aphthae open, which leads to the formation of sores of a bright red hue. On the this stage the development of the disease, a gradual decrease in body temperature is observed. Despite this comparative relief, general state the infected person worsens. Arise severe pain when swallowed, occurs copious excretion saliva. Then the tissues of the tongue swell, the lips swell. Speech becomes slurred.

With absence adequate treatment foot-and-mouth disease virus, in humans, blistering formations move to the skin of the legs and arms. Here, aphthae heal much faster than on mucous membranes. Within 3-5 days, no trace remains of them.

The course of the disease in children has more. Nausea is often added to the above symptoms, frequent urges to vomiting, disorder digestive organs, change in stool structure, diarrhea.

Features of the transmission of infection

The infection can spread between animals and from livestock to humans. People affected by the virus are only carriers. However, they are not able to transmit the pathogen to another person. Children are the most susceptible to the virus. This is facilitated by the presence of a weak immune system.

How is FMDV transmitted? The infection is spread by contact. Infection occurs when the pathogen enters the body when caring for cattle. The virus can concentrate on animal hair, be contained in pollution, feces.

Usually, people become infected by inhaling airborne dust. Sometimes infection occurs through contact dirty hands with mucous membranes of the mouth. The disease can also develop with the use of meat and milk of animals.

Treatment of foot and mouth disease in animals

The destruction of infection among occurs by isolating sick animals from the rest of the herd. The latter are contained in separate rooms. Destroy the viral pathogen by introducing into the body disinfecting sera containing substances such as convalescents, lactoglobulins, immunolactones.

During the recovery period, animals are offered an abundance pure water and nutritious food. The mucous membranes of the oral cavity are periodically treated with antiseptics. In order to eliminate ulcers on the surface of the skin, ointments with a healing effect are prescribed. Additionally, antibiotics and pain medications may be used.

In case of widespread infection in the herd, quarantine is introduced. When epidemics occur, sick cattle are destroyed. Animal carcasses are disposed of by burning in furnaces. Quarantine measures are terminated after 21 days have passed since the last case of infection was recorded.

Treatment of foot and mouth disease in humans

Therapy for infection with a viral pathogen requires the placement of an infected person in a hospital. Treatment involves regular disinfection of the oral cavity, healing of formed ulcers, the use of measures aimed at alleviating the general condition of the patient.

Infected people are offered easily digestible food with a semi-liquid consistency. Food must have room temperature and do not contain ingredients that can irritate mucous membranes. With widespread distribution ulcerative manifestations nutrition is provided to the patient through the introduction of food through a probe.

In order to local treatment use the impact on the affected areas of the skin with laser and ultraviolet radiation. For the speedy healing of sores, tissue treatment with florenal, oxolinic or interferon ointment is prescribed.

To alleviate the suffering of the patient during treatment, painkillers, cardiovascular, antipyretic drugs are used. pharmacological preparations. If necessary, carry out activities aimed at removing toxins from the body. Vitamin complexes are prescribed to maintain immunity.

In most cases, foot and mouth disease does not pose a mortal danger to humans. Forecasts for such viral infection extremely favorable. Full recovery with the formation of appropriate immunity occurs in quite short period. The disease does not leave behind any consequences. Cases of death are occasionally observed only among newborns and toddlers. early age.

Prevention

To prevent infection with the FMD virus allows, first of all, personal hygiene and compliance with sanitary standards. In order to prevent the disease, appropriate vaccination of animals is often carried out.

Of particular importance in terms of prevention is the implementation of instructions while working on farms, slaughterhouses, meat processing plants. According to the regulations, it is necessary to take care of livestock by wearing overalls, a protective mask, and gloves. After finishing work, it is important to wash your hands with soap and water.

In order not to once again expose yourself to the risk of infection with the virus, it is worth eating only proven, safe products of animal origin. Dishes in which meat or milk has been stored raw must be thoroughly cleaned using a detergent.

Last reported case of FMD epidemic

In October of this year, the foot-and-mouth disease virus was detected in Bashkiria. The state of emergency was introduced in the villages of Ermukhametovo and Urmekeyevo, which are located on the territory of the Tuymazinsky district. In the region, roads were blocked that lead to the marked settlements, and checkpoints were also established. Special units to eliminate emergencies set up disinfection stations. Active measures have begun to disinfect farms.

During the elimination of the epidemic, the FMD virus was found in dairy products. The sale of the latter from hand to hand was banned. in the above settlements had to be exterminated. The rest of the animals in the surrounding regions were vaccinated. On the this moment meat and milk are not sold to both the population and enterprises until the FMD virus in Bashkiria is completely eradicated.

Finally

As you can see, foot-and-mouth disease is enough dangerous infection viral nature which can cause significant losses to livestock farms. However, subject to the established instructions and personal hygiene, the disease does not pose a danger to humans. If the infection still manages to hit the body, forecasts for full recovery here are positive.

foot-and-mouth disease is infection acute course resulting from the entry of a specific virus into the body. bright sign foot-and-mouth disease in humans is a vesicular-erosive pathology of the skin. clinical picture can be made up of sharp ulcerative stomatitis, conjunctivitis, common symptoms intoxication and dermatological lesions of certain areas of the body (nose, hands and fingers).

Carriers and spreaders of the infection are farm animals (sheep, cows, pigs, goats, horses). AT rare cases infection occurs after contact with domestic animals (dogs, cats).

The causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease is a virus belonging to the genus Aphthoviruses (family Picornoviruses). FMDV in animals can be attributed to a group of extremely resistant microorganisms. It cannot be destroyed with standard disinfectants, freezing or drying. The virus remains active in water and on soil throughout the year. Destruction will occur only under the action of ultraviolet radiation or with prolonged heating with simultaneous treatment with alkali solutions.

Prevention and protection against foot-and-mouth disease has not lost its relevance today. According to statistics, about 70 countries in the world annually suffer losses due to the consequences of the disease. The FMD epidemic in Dagestan and Russia caused significant damage to the economy and animal husbandry. In just a few hours, a whole herd can become infected from one sick cow.

The FMD virus can enter the human body in the following ways:

• when using dairy products (sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese, kefir) and raw milk, which is taken from an infected animal;
• through household items that somehow came into contact with the biological secretions of an infected animal;
• as a result of eating the meat of a sick pig or cow, if it was not sufficiently processed by thermal methods;
• airborne infection of people who are involved in the agricultural industry.

The foot-and-mouth disease virus migrates into the human body through the tissues of the mucous membranes or microtraumas in the skin. A small bubble develops in the implantation zone - the so-called vesicle (primary affect). In its cavity, an active reproduction of a pathogenic virus occurs. It only lingers inside the bubble for a while, and then spreads through the circulatory system throughout the body, causing its intoxication. Virus molecules are highly dermatotropic, therefore they are localized inside the mucous membranes of the nose, oral cavity, urethral canal, on the epidermis of the hands and feet (formation of secondary vesicles).

FMD symptoms

After direct infection with the virus, the patient begins an incubation, asymptomatic period. Its duration is most often 3-10 days. After incubation, the FMD virus actively spreads throughout the body. The initial stage of the disease is usually acute. The disease is characterized by the following symptoms:

1. The first sign of infection is a sharp jump in body temperature to 39-40 ° C.
2. Then there is a rapid deterioration in well-being. The patient is worried about chills, pain in the joints and muscles (especially in the lumbar region). Gradually increasing headache.
3. By the evening of the first day, there is a burning sensation on the mucous membranes of the oral cavity. The volume of secreted saliva increases.
4. Subsequent changes occur with the organs of vision. The conjunctiva of the eyes turns red and inflamed.
5. The mucous membranes of the urethral canal become inflamed. The person feels pain while urinating.
6. Rashes on the body develop gradually. Initially, there is swelling of the oral mucosa (cheeks, palate, tongue, inner surface of the lips). After some time, small bubbles with clear liquid inside. After a few days, they will increase in size, and their contents will become cloudy.
7. Bubbles open up, erosion damage is formed in their place. They can be located remotely or merge into extensive lesions.
8. Regional lymph nodes are enlarged. When pressing on them, the patient feels discomfort or pain.
9. Hypersalivation intensifies, the amount of saliva flowing can reach up to 4 liters per day. Swallowing becomes difficult.
10. Work related symptoms digestive apparatus: nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea.

Foot-and-mouth disease is one of the diseases that most often affects children's body. All symptoms are pronounced, the disease is more severe than in adult patients. Children complain of pain when swallowing, chewing, and even during normal conversation. For these reasons, they lose their appetite, become lethargic and irritable.

The amount of saliva produced can be so abundant that it flows out in a stream. A rash in the form of multiple vesicles develops on the mucous membranes of the mouth, nose, eyes, inside the stomach. Also, rashes can cover the epidermis of the face, feet, palms, hands. If the course of the disease does not cause any complications, then with proper treatment recovery occurs within 5-6 days. Healing of ulcers and small wounds occurs quickly. The duration of illness in children is approximately 2 weeks.

Foot-and-mouth disease in humans usually resolves within 7-10 days. But in the case of weakened immunity, it can stretch for 1-1.5 years, periodically causing rashes and ulcers.

Severe foot and mouth disease in adults can cause serious complications, such as sepsis, purulent lesions of the epidermis and mucous membranes, myocarditis, pneumonia. There have been cases of death.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis is made by the following methods:

• Based on patient complaints, clinical and epidemic picture;
• Bioassay on guinea pigs;
• Serological studies. In the case of FMD diagnosis, the most accurate information will be given by methods based on the complement fixation reaction, or RSK (quantitative determination of antigens and antibodies). A qualitative hemagglutination inhibition test (RTGA) will reveal the degree of increase in antibody titer. Used for analysis deoxygenated blood patient.

Treatment

Since the disease is characterized by an acute form, the patient in soon hospitalized for a period of 1 to 2 weeks (depending on the intensity and nature of the symptoms). Particularly important bed rest on the initial stage foot and mouth disease. You can speed up recovery with the help of a special sparing diet. Eating should be done several times a day, but in small portions. All meals should be liquid or semi-liquid consistency. If the human oral cavity is severely affected, then food intake can be carried out through a probe. Before each meal, the patient is given a small dose of Anestezin (0.1 g).

Therapeutic therapy consists of taking antiviral drugs. Local treatment of the affected areas is carried out by wiping the skin with a weak solution of rivanol, hydrogen peroxide or potassium permanganate (1% concentration). The use of ointments (Interferon, Oxolinic, Tebrofenova) is effective. Doctors strongly recommend not to self-medicate, but to seek qualified help.

Ulcer healing is a lengthy process. Physiotherapy with ultraviolet rays will help speed it up. Nice results gives the use of wound healing aerosols (Panthenol, Livian).

In some cases, the disease may become especially severe form. Then the treatment is supplemented with cardiovascular, painkillers, antihistamines, multivitamin complexes.

FMD prevention

To protect animals and humans from FMD infection, doctors recommend following the generally accepted rules of prevention:

1. Timely and correct veterinary control of the health of livestock. It must include routine vaccination the entire livestock.
2. People who care for animals should use special protective clothing - gloves, gowns. At the end of work, equipment and hands should be treated with disinfectants.
3. It is forbidden to buy and eat meat of unknown origin. All agricultural products (milk, meat, eggs) must be carefully processed at a temperature of at least 60°C.

Infections can cause significant damage to both small farms and large economic enterprises. Especially dangerous diseases actively move from individual to individual and completely destroy the livestock. It is important to identify symptoms and start treatment as soon as possible. livestock, because inaction can ruin the farmer and harm the health of the family. So, if foot and mouth disease in animals affects a person, very painful symptoms await him.

FMD is an acute infectious disease caused by a virus. The risk group is mainly cows, pigs, sheep and goats are less affected. It is very painful and takes a long time. It is characterized by the appearance of sores, vesicles with liquid and other lesions on the mucous membranes. Spreads into the nasopharynx oral cavity, limbs, mammary glands.

Painful rashes are accompanied acute intoxication and high mortality, especially in young animals. The carriers of the virus are non-domesticated artiodactyls and livestock on the farm. The disease is easily transmitted to humans while caring for an infected farm dweller or by eating contaminated produce.

Causes of the emergence and spread of the virus

Animals become infected with foot-and-mouth disease through food or water, and the virus can also be transmitted through the air. Infection can be brought to the territory of the farm in the following ways:

• buying feed or water with a pathogen;
• the introduction of the virus on clothes, shoes, hands of attendants - veterinarians, milkmaids;
• driving sick cattle to the farm;
• purchasing infected care items from an unreliable manufacturer;
• importation of the pathogen on the wheels of a car that arrived from the territory of an infected farm.

After the infection enters the territory of the farm, the infection process occurs as follows:

Table 1. The process of infection of an animal (using the example of cattle) with foot-and-mouth disease virus

If the cow's immunity is weak, the heart and skeletal muscles can also become infected.

FMD symptoms in different animals

The incubation period lasts on average from 2 to 4 days, but may be delayed. So, in pigs it lasts about a week, in cows - 2-3 weeks. The virus spreads quickly, but during the incubation period does not manifest itself in any way.

First anxiety symptoms that signal an infection with foot and mouth disease are:

• general weakness of the animal and depression;
• unwillingness to eat, prolonged diarrhea;
• a sharp increase in temperature for a short time;
• lameness, the animal begins to fall on its front legs (relevant for representatives of cattle);
• profuse saliva, but sluggish chewing gum;
• the animal cannot open its mouth (occurs in rare cases).

Usually the virus takes an acute form. In adults, it flows into benign disease. Cases of malignant infections also take place, but much less frequently. In the future, signs of foot and mouth disease may be different in different representatives of livestock, taking into account their characteristics.

O viral diarrhea KRS you can find out by reading on our website

Cattle

In cattle, the latent phase can last 3 days, but sometimes it drags on up to 15-20 days. The disease proceeds according to the following algorithm:

• Immediately after the end of the incubation phase, the animal refuses to eat. Chewing gum stops, the heart beats faster, salivation is active.
• 2-3 days after the onset of the active phase inner side cheeks, tissues on the lips and tongue are covered with aphthae - bubbles with liquid. If the case is difficult, the udder and gaps between the hooves are also covered with such ulcers.

Attention! — FMD!

• In a severe course of the disease, the limbs of the animal suffer. Most often it is lameness on the front legs.
• A day or two after the appearance of the bubbles burst. Body temperature returns to normal, but salivation is still intense. Foam appears at the corners of the mouth.
• Within 7-8 days after the rupture, the sores completely heal. In complicated cases, rehabilitation may take 16-20 days. Aphthae also appear on the limbs, which burst and tighten in a week. If the lesion grows too large, suppuration of the wounds is possible after the rupture. In severe form, layers of the epithelium may begin to exfoliate.
• Dairy cows infected with foot and mouth disease become inflamed teat canals. The udder lobes begin to function with disturbances. Because of this, the structure and taste of milk changes: it becomes bitter and slimy. Milk yields are reduced by 65-70%.

An animal with affected limbs cannot walk for a long time, most often it just lies down. For young individuals and adult animals with impaired immunity, it is characteristic malignant course illness. They develop pneumonia, necrotic changes occur in the lungs. Gradually, some areas die off, the heart works intermittently. In such situations, the animal dies 2-5 days after the appearance of aphthae.

calves

For calves, foot-and-mouth disease is especially dangerous disease. As a rule, they do not have aphthae, however, the virus provokes a severe disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. At untimely treatment the calves begin to die.

Animals with uncomplicated infection are cured in 7-12 days. If some additional diseases have arisen against the background, foot and mouth disease can drag on for up to a month. As complications are diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

The atypical (acute) form is characterized by the following features:

1. After 6-7 days after the start of the open phase, the animal recovers briefly, after which the condition deteriorates sharply.
2. The calf refuses to eat at all. There is paralysis of the hind limbs.
3. Sudden changes in the state of the body greatly affect the heart. Death in most cases occurs as a result of its stop.

Calves infected with FMD die in 20-40% of cases.

Goats and sheep

In small ruminants, the disease is somewhat milder than in cattle. The incubation period lasts from 2 to 5 days. After its completion, you may notice the following symptoms:

• loss of appetite;
• fever and slight lameness;
• temperature rise to 41 degrees;
• gnashing of teeth, it can be difficult for an animal to open its mouth;
• the lower jaw, hooves, udders are covered with bubbles, from which a sticky liquid flows out when broken.

Small ruminants have a more pronounced immunity to foot-and-mouth disease, the disease rarely resolves with complications. A goat or sheep can fully recover in 2 weeks.

However, the cubs still suffer more: the lamb may die due to septicemia - background disease during the course of foot-and-mouth disease. This scourge affects tissues and circulatory system animal.

Pigs

Pigs tolerate foot-and-mouth disease very hard, especially for young individuals. The incubation period lasts no longer than two days, after which the disease develops according to the following scenario:

1. The limbs are affected, the pig is lame. The cornea of ​​the hooves may peel off.
2. A fever sets in, the temperature rises sharply. The state of the pig is oppressed, she refuses to eat.
3. Piglet and udder are covered with bubbles.
4. At severe course added bloody diarrhea with slime.
5. In rare cases, hemorrhage occurs in the kidneys or lungs.

Adult pigs can be sick for up to 25 days. Piglets mostly die (mortality from foot-and-mouth disease is 60%). The first two days of the active phase of the disease are especially dangerous for them.

How to treat animals for foot and mouth disease

Since the foot and mouth disease virus manifests itself differently in each individual and with different consequences, no generic drugs from this disease does not exist. Therefore, treatment consists in alleviating the condition of the sick animal and in eliminating the symptoms of foot and mouth disease.

First of all, it is necessary to separate sick animals from the rest of the herd. They are provided with proper living conditions, fed easily digestible food and give plentiful drink. In the summer they feed with fresh grass, in the cold season, soft hay is suitable. It is also recommended to limit motor activity animal because the disease affects the heart muscle.

At the core further treatment There are several steps, which are presented in the table below.

Table 2. Principles of treatment of animals from foot and mouth disease

Quarantine

If the presence of foot-and-mouth disease virus is confirmed on the farm, quarantine is immediately imposed. It is expressed in the following steps:

• Before leaving the farm, clothes, shoes, and transport used by people must be treated with disinfectants.

• infected animals in last stage are slaughtered. The bodies are burned on the farm. Healthy individuals are vaccinated.
• Animals after recovery are slaughtered in a temporary site, which is then thoroughly disinfected.
• Boiled sausage can be made from the meat and entrails of slaughtered animals, but only within the farm. You can't send it to meat processing plants.
• It is prohibited to export raw meat, milk, skins and other products from the farm.
• Quarantine ends 3 weeks after the recovery or death of the last individual. After the removal of quarantine from the farm during the year it is impossible to export animals that have recovered from foot-and-mouth disease or have been vaccinated.

Symptoms of foot and mouth disease in humans

A person can become infected with foot-and-mouth disease after contact with infected livestock. At the same time, the virus is not transported from person to person. Children are more susceptible to the virus, especially those whose diet contains dairy products.

The latent phase of the disease lasts 3-4 days, in rare cases it can be delayed up to two weeks. In the active phase, chills occur, the temperature jumps up to 40 ° C. In addition, the following symptoms appear:

• headache;
• loss of appetite;
• pain in the muscles and joints, back pain;
• dryness and burning in the oral cavity in the first days of infection;
• profuse salivation;
• ulcerative elements on the skin;
• rashes in the form of small bubbles with liquid in the oral cavity.

Most bubbles are located on the tip of the tongue, lips, inner surface of the cheeks and gums. At first, the liquid in them is transparent, later it begins to darken. The blisters expand and burst, forming open sores.

Together with the incubation period, the disease takes about two weeks. Sometimes the disease can last for a year or a year and a half: the patient periodically develops rashes, which soon disappear.

Ulcerative elements on the skin - typical manifestation foot and mouth disease

If the pathogen develops in gastrointestinal tract, the disease proceeds without stomatitis. Her symptoms resemble acute gastroenteritis: stomach ache, body temperature rises, vomiting and diarrhea begin.

Important! In humans, foot and mouth disease can cause complications, as in animals. They are expressed in the appearance purulent lesions on the skin, pneumonia, myocarditis.

FMD in children

In children, the disease proceeds somewhat differently than in adults. So, kids complain about:

• pain in the mouth while talking and chewing food;
• strong salivation in which saliva can flow in a thin stream from the corners of the mouth;
• rashes appear not only in the mouth, but also in the nose, eyes and even in the esophagus;
• ulcers can cover the face, forearms, knees, feet.

If the disease is uncomplicated, active phase lasts up to 6 days. Then comes the recovery period (about a week). Ulcers are quickly tightened, the general condition improves. On average, the illness lasts about two weeks.

Most cases of foot and mouth disease in both children and adults end in recovery. However, the disease, which was diagnosed in young children and is very difficult, often ends in the death of the child.

Video - foot and mouth disease

In Moscow, dairy products from the Yuryev Polsky plant were seized from stores after the discovery of foot-and-mouth disease virus in it. Kefir and milk of various percentages of fat content and yogurt, produced under the brand name "House in the Village", turned out to be infected.

“In the course of unscheduled activities in relation to JSC Holding Company Opolye, a branch of Dairy Plant Yuryev-Polsky, it was established that in the period from 01.10.2016 to 19.10.2016, dairy products were produced in the amount of 5824.5 tons, of which permitted to a turnover of 1993.8 tons. 3,830.8 tons are subject to withdrawal from circulation,” Rospotrebnadzor said in a letter.

Foot and mouth disease is an acute viral disease of artiodactyl animals caused by one of the variants of the virus types O, A, C, CAT-1, CAT-2, CAT-3 and Asia-1.

The virus retains its viability on animal hair for up to about 4 weeks and up to 3.5 weeks on clothes.

You can destroy this virus by:

• heating dairy products up to 60°C
• irradiation of the hair of artiodactyls with ultraviolet rays
• exposure to disinfectants in barns.

Why is foot and mouth disease dangerous?

Foot-and-mouth disease is transmitted from diseased artiodactyls to humans and is mainly spread in countryside, among those people who work in agricultural livestock enterprises, meat processing plants that are engaged in slaughtering and processing animal raw materials. The mechanism of infection is contact and contact-household, or through contact with infected objects.

The FMD virus can also enter the human body after eating contaminated dairy products. The virus cannot be transmitted from person to person.

What are the symptoms of the disease?

FMD is characterized by intoxication and vesicular-ulcerative lesions of the mucous membranes of the oral and nasal cavities. The incubation period of the disease is on average 3 to 4 days, the disease itself can last from 2 to 14 days.

The disease process begins with a strong chill, while the temperature rises to 40 degrees. To these symptoms are added headache, loss of appetite, observed muscle pain and especially strong in the lumbar region. On the first day of the course of the disease, the infected person feels a burning sensation and dryness in the mouth, as well as strong salivation. After some time, small bubbles begin to pour out on the mucous membrane of the mouth, from about 1 to 3 mm. Their largest accumulation is located at the tip and along the edges of the tongue, as well as on the gums, buccal mucosa and lips. The liquid that fills the formed bubbles is transparent, but gradually it becomes cloudy, the diameter of the bubbles increases, while forming erosion.

The patient may also complain of difficulty swallowing, as well as pain when talking and chewing. In addition to the mucous membranes, rashes can also be on the skin of the face, forearms, hands, feet and legs, especially often they occur between the fingers. Provided that the disease proceeds without complications, the fever lasts from 3 to 6 days. After this, a period of convalescence begins, which is accompanied by fast healing all ulcers. Total time The course of the disease is about two weeks. In rare cases, foot and mouth disease may result lethal outcome. Among possible complications diseases - pneumonia, myocarditis, purulent diseases skin.

How is foot and mouth disease treated?

A patient with foot and mouth disease must be hospitalized for at least two weeks. The main treatment measures are aimed at caring for the mucous membranes of the mouth and nose. For local treatment of foot and mouth disease, ointments are used, such as oxolinic, florenal and interferon ointments, as well as physiotherapeutic methods are used: laser and UV irradiation. Antipyretics, analgesics, cardiovascular and desensitizing agents are usually prescribed according to indications.

What are the methods of prevention?

FMD prevention includes constant control over the various movements of animals and the foodstuffs that are obtained from animals. If sick animals are found, they must be immediately isolated from society. It is forbidden to consume milk and meat from a sick animal.

It is also necessary to observe personal precautions when caring for and working with a sick animal. After work with a sick animal is completed, the room and equipment are disinfected with 1% chloramine.

Foot-and-mouth disease is the most dangerous viral disease that is extremely difficult to tolerate. It is most often diagnosed in pets, but if it occurs favorable conditions the causative agent of foot-and-mouth disease can affect humans. The disease is widespread in regions where people are actively engaged in agriculture.

General information

FMD provokes an acute zoonotic infection, which is transmitted by the fecal-oral route. In this case, the mucous membranes and skin in the brush area. All this is accompanied by fever and intoxication.

The disease has been known to science for more than 400 years, although its causative agent was discovered only in 1897 by Lefleur and Frotem.

They noticed similar symptoms in both animals and humans and became interested in them. In both cases, there were:

• profuse salivation;
• aphthae, ulcers in the oral cavity;
• damage to the myocardium, skeletal muscles;
• in animals, lesions of areas of the body devoid of hair were also observed.

Note!The causative agent of the disease is considered to be a virus from the genus of aphthoviruses of the picornovirus family. It belongs to the group of highly resistant, as it can withstand drying, disinfection. It can live on pastures in mountainous regions for 12 months, in drains, on clothes or on wool - 3 months, in sausages - 3 months, indoors - 2 months, in milk at a temperature of about 15C degrees - 2 weeks, in frozen foods - for years, posing a great danger to others.

It is possible to destroy the pathogen of foot and mouth disease only in solutions or when heated. He does not tolerate:

• hot 1% solution of Na and K, if placed in them for half an hour;
• 2% formalin solution if placed there for 10 minutes;
• 10% peroxide solution.

In addition, the virus is unstable to ultraviolet rays. Thanks to modern medicine and preventive measures people have become much less likely to get sick with foot-and-mouth disease, meanwhile, for animal husbandry, outbreaks of the disease are still detrimental to this day. That is why all identified sick individuals are destroyed in order to avoid new infections. In a matter of hours, the virus can infect hundreds of livestock.

Causes and ways of infection with foot and mouth disease

You can catch FMD only from animals, contacting them or eating food contaminated with the virus.. At risk are adults and children who regularly take care of cattle, sheep, pigs, goats, dogs, cats, horses, poultry, or get along with them.

Important! The carriers of the disease are also rodents, ticks, flies, camels.

Mechanism of infection - contact, fecal-oral or contact-household. In other words, you can catch the disease by eating fresh dairy products, contacting aphthae of sick animals or infected objects. These can be: bedding, drinking bowls, water, manure, feed and even clothes of people caring for animals.

Note!Animals can become infected and by airborne droplets, and through open wounds. At the same time, the foot-and-mouth disease virus is not transmitted from person to person. It is also known that adults are more resistant to it than children, in whose diet dairy products play a huge role.

Clinical picture and symptoms of the disease

Gates of infection are mucous membranes and damaged human skin. Moreover, initially the pathogen enters the oral cavity and / or upper Airways. Here it multiplies, as evidenced by the appearance of bubbles in this area of ​​the body. The incubation period lasts 3-8 days, after which the virus is directly in the blood.

Important!During the incubation period, the disease may not manifest itself in any way. It all depends on individual features organism.

As soon as the virus enters the bloodstream, there are:

The first rashes that appear on the human body last about 7 days, after which small wounds form in their place, which subsequently merge into one affected area. Often they are localized in the language of the patient, preventing him from eating and talking. At the same time, the lips swell, also becoming covered with ulcers and crusts.

After the appearance of secondary rashes (on the hands), the temperature persists for about 3 to 5 days, and then slowly decreases. From this moment, recovery begins, which in some cases can stretch for 2 weeks.

Important!After the transfer of foot-and-mouth disease, a person develops immunity to it.

Doctors distinguish 3 forms of the course of the disease, including:

• damage to the skin;
• damage to the mucous membranes of the oral cavity;
• mucocutaneous injury.

AT medical practice there were also erased forms of the disease, in which foot-and-mouth disease manifested itself general malaise, single aphthae on the skin or in the oral cavity.

Diagnostics

The typical picture of the disease simplifies the diagnosis. Meanwhile, the situation is complicated by the presence of erased forms of the disease and the similarity of symptoms with signs of other diseases. In particular, foot and mouth disease can be confused with:

• herpetic;
• erythema;
• for medicinal products.

To exclude them, the doctor not only examines the patient, but also collects an anamnesis (he is interested in contact with sick animals, drinking raw milk, living in an area where outbreaks of foot and mouth disease in animals have been recorded). Additionally, there may be laboratory research, namely:

• biological - blood tests, saliva, feces;
• serological tests that allow you to track the reaction of the interaction between the antigen and the antibody. In other words, such studies can detect the presence of antibodies to the pathogen in the blood.

Treatment

People who have been diagnosed with foot and mouth disease are subject to mandatory hospitalization for a period of at least 2 weeks. As in the case with for the most part viral diseases, specific treatment foot-and-mouth disease is not provided. During this period, doctors simply try in every possible way to alleviate the patient's condition. To do this, he:

Despite the insidiousness of the disease, the prognosis for its treatment in most cases is favorable.. As a rule, recovery occurs within 2 to 3 weeks, and all symptoms disappear almost without a trace for a person. Serious complications and consequences for his health in case of timely treatment no doctor.

Important!Small children and newborns tolerate foot and mouth disease much worse than adults. Lack of proper medical care in this case, it is fraught with a fatal outcome, although in practice this happens extremely rarely.

FMD prevention

The best prevention of FMD infection is considered to be strict observance sanitary norms and rules of personal hygiene. At the same time, a special sanitary and epidemiological service is engaged in identifying the disease in animals, after which quarantine is introduced in the region, and the infected individuals themselves are destroyed.

After that, all the premises where the animals were kept, as well as their care products, including the working clothes of their owners, are treated with disinfectant solutions.

Note! In order to prevent an epidemic of foot-and-mouth disease, vaccination should be carried out regularly.

Compliance with safety instructions when working with animals is also of great importance in prevention. According to them, it is necessary to take care of them only in special clothes, and after contact, wash your hands with soap and water.

Foot and mouth disease is a disease that causes serious damage to livestock farms, but remains harmless to humans, provided that elementary rules personal hygiene. To neglect them, even in the case of transferring the disease earlier, doctors do not recommend. The duration of immunity to foot-and-mouth disease has not yet been established.